Fire-extinguishing and firefroofing composition.



.cellent fire-proo skin In extinguish wood fires, it has been 1 TED s PATET FFICE.

GEORGE E. FERGUSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB T0 PYRENE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

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In Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the'city, county, andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishing and Fireproofing Composition, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fire extinguishing composition and more particularly to a compound which will not only extinguish the flame but will also render the material fire-proof and thus prevent the re-ignition thereof from smoldering embers or other causes.

After a long series of experiments I have found that such a fire extinguishing and fire-proofing composition may be made up of a water solution of sodium silicate, borax, sodium ammonium phosphate and monosodium phos hate.

Sodium sillcate or water glass, (having a formula of Na,Si,O,) has been used in a number of difl'erent compounds for ,fireproofing various materials. When waterglass is heated it gives a sandy pulverized mass, grayish white in color and extremely refractory when subjected to heat. If a coating of this material, when heated, could be caused to fuse into a skin or homogeneous covering, it would make an excellent fireproofing material and with this end in view I added borax, a salt of sodium and boric acid, (having a formula of Na B O 101-1 0).

'W'hen borax is heated is gives ofl water and the remaining portion fusesto a color less, transparent glass, commonly brown as borax glass the higher the heat the quicker and better it'forms the glass. When borax is mixed with water glass and then heated the coating is excellent, being very tough and homo eneous, and forming an exfound dificult heretofore to extinguish the burning embers. The large flame is easily extinguished, but the embers are the hardest to put out. Should apiece of wood having burnin embers on itbe placed in an atmosphere ee from oxygen it would be instantly extinguished. onia gas, will make an oxygen free atmosphere, so if this gas could be generated and held about the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2,- 1918.

Application flied November 18, 1913. Serial No. 801,733.

With this end in view, sodium ammonium' phosphate, commonly known as microcosmic salt, having a formula of NaNH,HPO,)-

was a ded to the mixture. Microcosmic salt when heated first melts and then decomposes, giving off ammonia gas and leaving a phosphate of soda. The ammonia gas is trapped for a short period of time under the skin produced by the heating ofthe sodium silicate .and bora-x combination and instantly extinguishes the burning embers.

A part of the ammonia gas will also be mixed with the various gases emitted by the fire and will tend to combine with the acid portions of the fumes, thereby rendering them less obnoxious and corrosive. The phosphate of soda which remains of the decomposition products of the microcosmic salt forms one of the best fire-proofing materials obtainable.

Monosodium phosphate (N'aH PO. H O) is added to further increase the fire-proofing qualities of the liquid by-enabling the percentage of phosphate to be increased, the mono salt being taken because of its greater solubility in water than the other phosphates of soda.

The portions which I have found ad-- novel manner by the co-action of the several ingredients of the composition when the same is used on a fire. .A fire extinguishing gas is formed and held about the burning material by the fire-proof skin produced by the composition when subjected to the heat of the fire. This gas not only extinguishes the flame but also the smoldering embers, as already described, and also neutralizes the acid portions of the fumes from the fire.

Finally, in addition to performing the above noted functions, the fire-proof skin is left, forming a fire-proof coating which prevents r'e-ignition.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the specific ingredients or to the exact proportions or method of making the composition herein set out as illus trative of a preferred embodiment of my invention, as it may be possible to substitute other ingredients or to vary the composition as defined in the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is I p 1. A fire extinguishing composition composed of substances which, when exposed to the heat of the fire, give ofi ammonia gas and also produce a coating which holds said gas aboutthe burning material.

2. A fire extinguishing composition composed of substances which, when subjected to the heat of the firm-give of ammonia gas and also deposit-a fire-proofing coating on the burning material;

' 3. A. fire extinguishing composition composed ofsubstances which, when sfl'bj ected to the heat of the fire, give ofi' ammonia gas and also produce a fire-proof coating which first holds the ammonia gas about tlie'burning material and is then deposited'thereon as a coating.

4. A fire extinguishing composition composed of microcosmic salt in combination with substances which when subjected to the heat of the fire produce a fire-proof coating about the burning material.

5. A fire-extinguishing and fire-proofing composition composed of sodium silicate. borax, and two different phosphates of sodium, one of said phosphates being adapted to evolve a fire-extinguishing gas.

I 6. A fire extinguishing and fire proofing composition composed of sodium silicate, borax, microcosmic salt and monosodium phosphate.

7. A fire extinguishinaand fire proofin composition composed of orax and two di ferentsalts of sodium, one of said salts being adapted when acted uponby the heat of the fire to give off a fire-extinguishing gas and the other to deposit a 'fire proofing substance. v

8. A fireextinguishing and fire proofing composition composed of substances which when subjected to the heat of the fire give ofi a fire-extinguishing gas and also deposit a fire-proofing coating on the burning ma-' terial, and which when broughttogether will not react chemically in water solution.

' 'Sigped at the'city, county and State of New ork, this 13th day of November, 1913. GEORGE E. FERGUSON. Witnesses:

Lnwrs J Doom'rrm, .L'UELLA F. Ln'rne. 

